I'm not sure if my Tarragon thumb is black or if I'm just got some unhealthy plants in the past.
After numerous deaths, I'm trying it once more.
So what's the secret to keeping tarragon alive, mine are dying for me to know?
Dove
Growing French Tarragon HELP! ;-)
dovey, can you describe what happens to the plants (how they look) when they die or provide a photo? This will help others to offer suggestions. There are many things that could be affecting your tarragon.
There is a discussion on tarragon cultivation in this thread:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/642004/
Garden Mermaid,
I'll take a look at the thread, thanks for the link.
As for what happens, in a pot or in the ground it fails to thrive and finally turns brown and dies.
This last plant I got looks pretty healthy, it's in a 4 inch pot.
I haven't decided if I want to grow it in a pot (I would prefer in ground.)
It gets very hot here... noon today is 102.
I have a shady damp area, but the drainage isn't great.
I have a raised bed that is in full sun until about 3:00.
I can shade the young plant with some lattice until things cool off if you think it needs it.
It's possible the plant succumbed to heat stroke/sunburn in your area.
Assuming the 4 inch pot is the one it came in from the nursery/garden store, you might want to transplant it to a larger pot for growing room, then set it in the area you are thinking of planting it in the ground. If the only areas with good drainage are in full sun with high heat, provide some shade. The watch the plant. You can always move it, since it's in a pot. Are there other larger plants that you might be able to plant with it that could offer come partial shade during the summer heat? Or would you just prefer a lattice/shade cloth?
Hey Dovey!
My tarragon is in containers, and is lightly shaded by an aggressive sage plant that is becoming a mini-bush. I had to add extra perlite because I was told that French Tarragon loves loose well draining soil, and it is doing really well.
kanita, are you growing any winter squash to go with that sage?
Garden Mermaid,
Well I kept the tarragon in my south window while I watched the sun/shade in my garden.
We planted it yesterday in the shade of a huge salvia.
Kanita,
I just may go out there this morning and dig around the root ball and add some perlite.
Thanks for the tip.
I popped a small French Tarragon plant into my garden last year, simply because I liked how it looks even though I don't personally use much to cook with. This year, I was amazed to find that my little tiny plant had turned into a huge hulking monster! I never knew that tarragon plants could get so big! We have almost pure sand in the herb garden, and I don't think anything in there has ever been fed.
Right next to my tarragon is a very large Sage plant. They both kind of shade each other, but neither one has seemed to negatively effect the other one.
Have you tried simply neglecting your French Tarragon? :-) (Sorry I'm not more help!)
WHY OH WHY do people who want a plant fail at it, and people who are indifferent turn it into an industry? I guess it's those garden-irony demons at work.
some plants just don't respond well to smother love! they're so worried they won't live up to our desires and expectations that they give up at the start.
:-)
Lol, Garden_Mermaid
Isn't that the truth!
I have gone to extreme measures to root rose cuttings...followed the expert's advice to the letter.
After all my efforts, they trick me into thinking they are going to live only to die as soon as I turn my back for 2 seconds!
On the other hand, the rose cuttings I stick in the ground and squirt with a little water now and then seem to thrive on the neglect. Go figure.
So you think it boils down to performance anxiety eh?
Definitely. Most of my plants prefer encouragement and praise to getting their roots poked and a shower forced upon them.
LOL, too funny! I loved the comments on this thread.
There are a lot of plants that thrive on "benign neglect." Unfortunately, tea roses are not among them... My MIL has a beautiful rose garden, which she does fuss over. I had a hard time convincing her that her African violet didn't require a similar level of care... more AVs are killed by overwatering from conscientious people than by any other means, I think. I don't seem to do well with any plants that require constant pampering, so herbs are good for me! :-)
Tea roses are the prissy debutantes of the garden. They've been bred to be non-functional without their servants.
LOL @ non-functional without their servants
That was good!